Over and Under the Waves

By Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal

Explore the wonders and beauties of the ocean's kelp forests in this latest addition to the acclaimed Over and Under series.
 
Award-winning duo Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal return in this latest addition to the Over and Under picture book series, this time exploring the rich, interconnected ecosystem of the ocean!
 
Over the waves, the sea lions bark and seagulls wheel and call. The bay is smooth and bright in the sun. But under the waves, there's a whole hidden forest, full of whales and wolf eels, sardines and sea bass, leopard sharks and luminous jellies, as well as the waving kelp that shelters them all. Discover the magical depths of the kelp forest, and all the fascinating creatures living just a paddle's length away—over and under the waves.
 
SO MANY FASCINATING FACTS: Kids are endlessly curious about the natural world and the wildly varied animals and plants living in it—and the ocean is FULL of amazing and surprising life!
 
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MADE WONDERFUL: Preservation of our wilderness—and of our oceans in particular—is essential, and this book makes such a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems.
 
THE GORGEOUS UNDERWATER WORLD: This new book in the Over and Under series illuminates the magic and amazing biodiversity of the kelp forest by telling the story of one family's kayaking trip through a real-world ocean ecosystem. Lyrical prose and color-drenched illustrations will draw even the most reluctant readers into the world.
 
STRONG CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) emphasize learning about animal habitats/biomes in K-2 curriculums, while later grades address topics like food chains, conservation, and endangered species. With a depth of research and an engaging, highly visual narrative, this book is an excellent resource for librarians and primary school educators.
 
FROM A FAVORITE AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR TEAM: Kate Messner and Chris Neal make nonfiction approachable and appealing! These two award-winning creators have received countless accolades and published books to critical acclaim, making them the perfect team to tackle any nonfiction topic.
 
Perfect for:

• Those who loved Over and Under the Snow and other books in the Over and Under series
• Fans of Kate Messner
• Lovers of the ocean and marine life
• Parents and grandparents seeking beautiful books to read aloud together
• Teachers, educators, and librarians seeking illustrated nonfiction books with STEM content
• Anyone seeking a distinctive gift for a child who loves animals or nature

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Sep 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781797206202

Kate Messner

Kate Messner is a New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books for young readers, including The Brilliant Deep, the Over and Under series, the History Smashers series, and more. Kate is the 2022 recipient of the Empire State Award for excellence in children’s literature. Her science-themed picture books have been honored with the Green Earth Book Award and the Riverby Award for Natural History Writing and have been finalists for the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences/Subaru SB&F prize for excellence in science writing. A former middle school teacher, Kate now splits her time between Lake Champlain and Florida’s Gulf Coast. Learn more at katemessner.com.

Book preview

Cover: Over and Under the Waves by Kate Messner

For Randy Smythe, who helped make me a writer —K. M.

For Jasper and River —C. S. N.

Text copyright © 2022 by Kate Messner.

Illustrations copyright © 2022 by Christopher Silas Neal.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Velcro is a trademark of Velcro Industries B.V. LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Names: Messner, Kate, author. | Neal, Christopher Silas, illustrator.

Title: Over and under the waves / Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Description: San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2022. | Series: Over and under | Includes bibliographical references. | Audience: Ages 5-8 | Audience: Grades 2-3 |

Reviews for Over and Under the Waves

[lisa2013_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a lovely book in the “Over and Under” series. I can’t believe the author kayaked in the area of the Monterey Bay Aquarium because the seas there can be rough. I do love how this book is inspired by the ecosystem near the aquarium and by the aquarium itself. This area is close enough to me to be considered (almost) local and I’ve visited numerous times though not for years. The area is beautiful though I have a love-hate relationship with the aquarium. I loved the pages of fauna & flora more detailed information at the end of the book and appreciate the list of Further Reading (books and websites) at the end. The fictional story didn’t engage me as much as the facts did but it was entertaining enough. This is an excellent addition to this series. I do like this author & illustrator team. I love the ocean and I enjoyed these illustrations. Neither the story or illustrations are my very favorite but I do like them and I enjoy reading about an ecosystem with which I have some familiarity. Recommended for children & families & school groups who will be visiting the area or studying similar ecosystems.